The term “counselling” often carries negative connotations within the BAME community, leading to damaging stigmas for affected individuals and families. Mental health institutions have adjusted their services to better cater to the BAME community’s cultural and religious beliefs to address this.

The Three Meem Foundation aims to mitigate health inequalities that marginalised ethnic groups face in accessing mental health support. They collaborated with Ayesha Baig, a local registered counsellor from Sale. In partnership with Lingua GM, Baig organised a ‘healthy hearts and healthy minds’ self-care workshop.

The workshop aimed to equip attendees with practical well-being tools for daily life, covering topics like self-identity, emotional boundaries, self-compassion, grounding techniques, and breathing exercises.

The female participants quickly found a connection with the content, especially noting the therapeutic potential of their Muslim faith and culture. Baig’s session, conducted in English, successfully provided valuable insights into the mental health and well-being of the attending women.